"I sincerely wish I could feel that same confidence, Mr. Roebach," said Professor Henderson, drily. "These instruments of mine, however, cannot lie. It is a simple calculation to figure that the moon, now just risen, is thousands of miles out of her course, if we are still on the earth. No, Mr. Roebach, I am stating the exact truth when I say that we have been blown off the earth by that awful volcanic eruption, and that we are now floating on a torn-away world, or a new planet, in space, doubtless hanging between the earth and the sun. We are as unsafe as though we were on a wandering star, or meteor--only this island is not afire. But in time we shall fall into one or the other greater bodies of our system--of that end there can be no possible doubt." CHAPTER XVII ON AN ISLAND IN THE AIR The stern and uncompromising statement of Professor Henderson relating to the awful fate that had overtaken his friends and Phineas Roebach was so uncompromising--almost brutal--that not a word was spoken for several minutes. Even Washington White was dumb. The fact that the fragment of the earth on which they were imprisoned was floating miles above the globe, in the rarified atmosphere of the outer universe, and that they were at that moment able to look up and see the great, calm, palely glowing sphere which had been their home, rolling across the arch above them--all this was too awful a mystery to be grasped immediately by the professor's companions. Jack Darrow, whose mind was the keenest of any, was the first to break the depressing silence. And he spoke in an awed tone that showed how fully he realized the horror of their situation, if nothing more. "Then, Professor, we are at the mercy of Chance--at any moment this fragment of the earth may fall again--or be propelled into the sun?" "We are in the hands of Providence, my boy," replied Professor Henderson, reverently. "The fact remains that we are totally unable to help ourselves," said Jack, firmly. "Even could we repair the _Snowbird_, and get her out of this crack in the ice, we could not fly to the earth. Between us and the earth lies a portion of the universe that has no atmosphere--no breathable air--like that envelope which surrounds the moon. Am I right?" "Practically correct, I believe, Jack," responded the aged scientist. "But," cried Mark, at last getting _his_ speech, "how can such a thing be possible? Blown off the earth! Why, we'd simply go up in the air and come down again." "Now you're talking sense, young fellow," muttered Roebach, still rubbing his head as though stunned. "Not if we were blown far enough to get beyond the earth's attraction--or to get so far away from that body that the sun's attraction counterbalances that of the earth," replied the professor, calmly. "And why do we not fall off?" asked Mark. "We do come pretty near falling off," returned Professor Henderson, grimly. "I should think you could see that, Mark."